I don't think there's any attempt at a slur in the change of word, but the origibnal Russian words would not sound good in English- if ideas are
straying, for instance, they would be going out of the areas where they should be. If ideas were
hovering, it wpould sound a bit ominous to me. I imagine that they sought a common term in English that would reflect the meaning in Russian, without any thought of drink. Anyway, vodka is distilled not brewed, isn't it?
